A Canadian individual who recently returned home from Beijing has died from H5N1 avian flu — marking not only the first human fatality from the virus in North America, but the first reported case at all. While H5N1 is whats known as a zoonotic avian flu virus — meaning it can cause illness in humans — the vast majority of human H5N1 cases have occurred when individuals interact closely with poultry. This is an isolated case. I want to reassure the public this is an isolated case, Rona Ambrose, Canadas Health Minister, told reporters.